- Joined
- Oct 22, 2013
- Messages
- 9,765
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_eb596497-3674-5957-9647-d1b4d6ab8fc7.html
STOP!
This is a BERNIE article so stop right here if you hate him because I'd like no negative BERNIE comments please. Disagree with his take on things all you want but just don't bash Bernie.
"Before I catch the early flight home to St. Louis, here are a few leftover morning-after thoughts following the Rams' 27-24 loss in San Diego.
1. After several good weeks the Rams' defense was disappointing, allowing 410 yards overall and giving up a 105-yard rushing day (Ryan Mathews) and a 104-yard receiving day (Keenan Allen). And after keeping QB Philip Rivers in check early, the Rams let him get going, and he took advantage of some questionable tactics.
2. The Rams harassed Rivers on the first series, and later burned him for the pick-six interception by cornerbackJanoris Jenkins. But on the Chargers' final possession of the first half, the Rams went into a shell, dropping defenders deep into coverage to make it easy for Rivers to play pitch and catch with his receivers in the wide-open spaces underneath.
Not counting a spike to stop the clock, Rivers completed 6 of 8 for 54 yards on a drive that began with 1:33 left in the first half. Picking his way down the field without encountering resistance, Rivers took the Chargers 54 yards in 10 plays for a field goal that cut the STL lead to 10-6.
3. And from that point on, Rivers was on his way. Beginning with that late second-quarter drive, Rivers put up ridiculous numbers: 20 completions in 23 attempts, 239 yards, one touchdown, and a 124.4 passer rating. He connected on 14 of 15 in the second half.
4. Rivers was smarter than the Rams and their coaches. When they played a soft "off" defense, Rivers threw short passes to pick up easy yards. When the Rams blitzed, Rivers knew exactly what do do. He had it all scoped out, ready to exploit the blitz with a three-step drop and quick-fire passes ... and effective little screen passes that the Rams struggled to chase down.
5. Rivers had slumped in his previous four games, and he slumped against the Rams for much of the first half. He's also playing with a painful rib injury. But once Rivers diagnosed the Rams' predictable strategies, he went to work, and made it look simple. The Rams had three sacks, with two coming early in the game. Rivers did what he wanted after that.
"Other than those three sacks, I wasn't touched today," Rivers said.
6. The Chargers' offensive tackles, King Dunlap and D.J. Fluker, came into the game ranked among the worst pass-blocking tackles in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. But Dunlap made Rams' defensive end Robert Quinn disappear. According to the numbers kept by the stats crew in the Qualcomm press box, Quinn and left defensive end William Hayes combined for one tackle. That by Hayes. The Chargers' offensive tackles were very good, and Rivers' quick thinking and quick release took care of the rest. Rivers settled down and won his matchup against Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
7. After giving up hardly anything on the ground in their previous three games, the Rams yielded an average of 5.8 yards per rushing attempt on Sunday. Mathews averaged 8.8 yards on his 12 carries.
8. Rams rookie offensive left tackle Greg Robinson had a rough day. A very rough day. That's two in a row.
9. The officiating crew was a clown show that really took something away from the joy of watching a wildly competitive game that featured many twists and turns.
10. Stedman Bailey had seven catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. It was a nice game for him ... we enjoyed watching Tre Mason run the ball, and I wish the Rams would utilize him as a receiver, because he'd make those linebackers and safeties miss in the open field... it took nearly two full seasons, but the Rams' offensive staff finally put in some effective running plays for second-year wideout Tavon Austin.
11. Since their last winning season (2003) the Rams are 55-115-1 for a winning percentage of .325. The Oakland Raiders are the only NFL team with a poorer record since the start of the '04 season, going 50-121 for a winning percentage of .292. The teams will play each other Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
12. After the loss Rams guard Rodger Saffold said his team has "the best mentality in the league." Adding: "We always come back, ready to fight. This game, there were so many reasons for us to get blown out. But we just kept fighting, kept pushing ... we're not out of anything. I love this team."
13. Nice to see Rams executives out in the parking lots surrounding Qualcomm, having a good time with the team's Los Angeles-based fans. It's just what the Rams need to improve fan relations in St. Louis. (Rolls eyes.) I'll have more to say about this later in the week. "
STOP!
This is a BERNIE article so stop right here if you hate him because I'd like no negative BERNIE comments please. Disagree with his take on things all you want but just don't bash Bernie.
"Before I catch the early flight home to St. Louis, here are a few leftover morning-after thoughts following the Rams' 27-24 loss in San Diego.
1. After several good weeks the Rams' defense was disappointing, allowing 410 yards overall and giving up a 105-yard rushing day (Ryan Mathews) and a 104-yard receiving day (Keenan Allen). And after keeping QB Philip Rivers in check early, the Rams let him get going, and he took advantage of some questionable tactics.
2. The Rams harassed Rivers on the first series, and later burned him for the pick-six interception by cornerbackJanoris Jenkins. But on the Chargers' final possession of the first half, the Rams went into a shell, dropping defenders deep into coverage to make it easy for Rivers to play pitch and catch with his receivers in the wide-open spaces underneath.
Not counting a spike to stop the clock, Rivers completed 6 of 8 for 54 yards on a drive that began with 1:33 left in the first half. Picking his way down the field without encountering resistance, Rivers took the Chargers 54 yards in 10 plays for a field goal that cut the STL lead to 10-6.
3. And from that point on, Rivers was on his way. Beginning with that late second-quarter drive, Rivers put up ridiculous numbers: 20 completions in 23 attempts, 239 yards, one touchdown, and a 124.4 passer rating. He connected on 14 of 15 in the second half.
4. Rivers was smarter than the Rams and their coaches. When they played a soft "off" defense, Rivers threw short passes to pick up easy yards. When the Rams blitzed, Rivers knew exactly what do do. He had it all scoped out, ready to exploit the blitz with a three-step drop and quick-fire passes ... and effective little screen passes that the Rams struggled to chase down.
5. Rivers had slumped in his previous four games, and he slumped against the Rams for much of the first half. He's also playing with a painful rib injury. But once Rivers diagnosed the Rams' predictable strategies, he went to work, and made it look simple. The Rams had three sacks, with two coming early in the game. Rivers did what he wanted after that.
"Other than those three sacks, I wasn't touched today," Rivers said.
6. The Chargers' offensive tackles, King Dunlap and D.J. Fluker, came into the game ranked among the worst pass-blocking tackles in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. But Dunlap made Rams' defensive end Robert Quinn disappear. According to the numbers kept by the stats crew in the Qualcomm press box, Quinn and left defensive end William Hayes combined for one tackle. That by Hayes. The Chargers' offensive tackles were very good, and Rivers' quick thinking and quick release took care of the rest. Rivers settled down and won his matchup against Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
7. After giving up hardly anything on the ground in their previous three games, the Rams yielded an average of 5.8 yards per rushing attempt on Sunday. Mathews averaged 8.8 yards on his 12 carries.
8. Rams rookie offensive left tackle Greg Robinson had a rough day. A very rough day. That's two in a row.
9. The officiating crew was a clown show that really took something away from the joy of watching a wildly competitive game that featured many twists and turns.
10. Stedman Bailey had seven catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. It was a nice game for him ... we enjoyed watching Tre Mason run the ball, and I wish the Rams would utilize him as a receiver, because he'd make those linebackers and safeties miss in the open field... it took nearly two full seasons, but the Rams' offensive staff finally put in some effective running plays for second-year wideout Tavon Austin.
11. Since their last winning season (2003) the Rams are 55-115-1 for a winning percentage of .325. The Oakland Raiders are the only NFL team with a poorer record since the start of the '04 season, going 50-121 for a winning percentage of .292. The teams will play each other Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
12. After the loss Rams guard Rodger Saffold said his team has "the best mentality in the league." Adding: "We always come back, ready to fight. This game, there were so many reasons for us to get blown out. But we just kept fighting, kept pushing ... we're not out of anything. I love this team."
13. Nice to see Rams executives out in the parking lots surrounding Qualcomm, having a good time with the team's Los Angeles-based fans. It's just what the Rams need to improve fan relations in St. Louis. (Rolls eyes.) I'll have more to say about this later in the week. "